Merchandise: Bathrobes Remain a Classic

Bathrobes have been a wardrobe staple—as well as a catalog staple—for years. There are few people who don’t like cuddling up in a warm, soft robe after a hot shower, or coming downstairs for their morning cup of coffee wrapped in their favorite terry cloth robe.

Robes are an ever-popular gift item, evidenced by the number of holiday and gift catalogs that featured them this past winter. The Norm Thompson gift catalog, Sundance gifts, Talbots gift collection, the Lands’ End holiday catalog and the Cuddledown of Maine holiday catalog are just a few of the books that presented robes as wonderful gift ideas.

“Robes are one of the most popular gifts for older people and college kids because they spend so much time in them,” says Joan Burden Litle, president of the Catalog Connection, a creative merchandising consulting firm in Lowell, MA. “They can curl up in bed in a great big, thick robe that can take the wear and tear. And a robe is comforting, sort of like your teddy bear.”

Robes are also something that people are unlikely to buy for themselves but enjoy getting as a gift. Another bonus for merchandisers is that just about everyone needs a robe, and it is an appropriate gift for all ages.

Terry cloth has long been the preferred material, but fleece robes are gaining favor lately. Both Lands’ End and Talbots offer fleece robes in their catalogs. Overall, fleece robes have not replaced the terry cloth style, but fleece is showing up in more and more catalogs.

“I see fleece coming around, but I think terry cloth is still a basic,” says Burden Litle. “It’s like the bread and butter. It’s been in the Hammacher Schlemmer catalog as long as I can remember. They have a family of white, heavy-looking terry cloth robes in their catalog.”

Photography

The photo is the opportunity to really display the quality of the product, and make it seem inviting to the buyer. When displaying a robe in a catalog, show the thickness and texture of the material. It is also important to show the front of the robe to display pockets and the strap. Customers like to see the features and details of the styling. However, displaying the back of a robe is usually not necessary.

The Norm Thompson catalog does a great job of showing detail in its photography. Shoppers can see the softness and texture of the velour robe, and the rich colors. The thickness of the terry cloth is evident in the photo, suggesting both comfort and durability.

“I [visualized] people putting on the Norm Thompson right out of the shower,” observes Burden Litle. “That came across.”

Some catalogs show the robe on a model, while others show it on a hanger or just floating on the page. Whether or not to use a model really depends on the message the catalog wants to convey to the customer, says Burden Litle. If the robe is supposed to be perceived as lounge wear, it looks better on a figure, perhaps a person reading a book or watching television. If the photo is just supposed to show quality, such as thickness and design, it doesn’t need to be on a person. Lands’ End chose to show its robes folded and stacked in a pile. Burden Litle says that this practice is pretty standard.

“It looks like a stack of towels,” she says. “To me, that implies softness and just a wonderful feeling to it.”

The Sundance photography falls flat comparatively. Its robe is pictured hanging limply in the air against a green backdrop, set inside a peculiar opening in a wall that is neither a door nor a window. And the model in the picture is looking in a mirror, not at the robe. This odd layout doesn’t make the robe seem inviting, and Burden Litle says the photo doesn’t support the copy.

“The first line [of copy] says ‘luxurious,’ and it didn’t look luxurious. The whole page sort of threw me,” she says.

It is very important to make sure the photo is supported by the theme of the copy. Lands’ End’s copy talks about a robe being good for elders and college kids, but then there is a photo of two parents and their baby. It doesn’t quite go together, notes Burden Litle. Also, the copy claims that the robe is soft, so one would expect to see a person wrapped up in it, not a mother handing a baby to the father, she says. The photo just doesn’t say “cozy.”

Copy

Copy needs to create a mood so the buyer envisions putting on the robe. Burden Litle says that Lands’ End’s copy is very inviting. The catalog reads, “It’s pure plush Polartec 200, brushed on both sides for extra loft and warmth, ready to shrug off the shivers even if you live at the North Pole.” The Polartec brand is associated with quality and exclusivity.

Norm Thompson also does a good job of creating a mood by using adjectives like “plushest” and “thirstiest” in its headline. The copy reads: “This pure cotton terry velour is luxuriously looped on the inside to absorb moisture after a shower or dip in the jacuzzi.”

Burden Litle says that while Talbots created a mood with the photo of a woman reading to her child, it missed an opportunity in the copy to talk about lounging in your new robe on Christmas morning. The copy had few descriptive adjectives and did a poor job of building on the mood created by the photo.

Highlighting particular features in the copy makes an easier sell. Lands’ End mentions “gap-free wrap” and “cuffs that turn back and adjust for a perfect fit.” Talbots also describes its robe’s “fold-back cuffs,” and mentions “side seam pockets, self-sash and inside tie.” Pinpointing these features lets customers know they can adjust the robe to fit their figure and arm length.

Another important thing for catalogers to disclose in their copy is whether a robe is unisex or is offered in men’s and women’s sizes. Sundance gifts offers a unisex robe, but then lists sizes 6-18. These are women’s sizes, and the customer would have to know how to convert that into men’s.

“People, when they’re shopping by catalog, don’t want to have to take time,” says Burden Litle. “They see it, they want it, they order it. It should be instant, and if you make them think about that decision, then maybe [they won’t] come back to it.”

One vital attribute that many catalogers forget to put in their copy: length.

“Consumers want to know the length of a robe,” says Burden Litle. “You might have to have it shortened, and do you really want to...pay $70 for something and then have to have it shortened?”

The copy should mention if accessories shown in the picture are included or not. This may seem obvious to the cataloger, but some customers will expect those accessories.

Odds and Ends

Adding special features, such as monogramming and free gift wrap, is a great way to promote a robe as a gift. Catalogs also could try emphasizing that a robe is a nice treat for one’s self or a way to “pamper yourself.” Offering a variety of colors like Talbots and Lands’ End do is a good idea, even though many women prefer white because it reminds them of a spa robe, says Litle.

“The basic white terry cloth is a classic,” says Burden Litle. She adds, “I think the one in Norm Thompson with the multi-colors for a man is fabulous.”

Whether you want to project your robe as practical or lounge wear, keep in mind the interests and lifestyle of your buyers.

“When you’re describing a robe, you have to think of who you are as a catalog and what you represent to the consumer,” concludes Burden Litle. “What is your target market and what would they be expecting from you?”